The Wiz (1978/I)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

L. Frank Baum (novel)
Joel Schumacher (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 October 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Musical | Family

Tagline:

From the book that's an American tradition...from the smash-hit Broadway show...the entertainment of the year!

Plot:

An adaption of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African American experience.

Plot Keywords:

Melancholy | Critically Bashed | Cult Favorite | Box Office Flop | Coming Of Age

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 7 nominations

Cast

Diana Ross	...	Dorothy
Michael Jackson	...	Scarecrow
Nipsey Russell	...	Tinman
Ted Ross	...	Lion (Fleetwood Coupe de Ville) / The Wiz Singers Adult Choir
Mabel King	...	Evillene
Theresa Merritt	...	Aunt Emma
Thelma Carpenter	...	Miss One
Lena Horne	...	Glinda the Good
Richard Pryor	...	The Wiz (Herman Smith)
Stanley Greene	...	Uncle Henry
Clyde J. Barrett	...	Subway Peddler
Derrick Bell	...	The Four Crows
Roderick-Spencer Sibert	...	The Four Crows
Kashka Banjoko	...	The Four Crows
Ronald 'Smokey' Stevens	...	The Four Crows

Also Known As:

Mago, El (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Czarnoksieznik (Poland) [pl]
Feiticeiro, O (Portugal) [pt]
I'm magic (Italy) [it]
Mágico Inesquecível, O (Brazil) [pt]
Taikuri Oz (Finland) [fi]
The Wiz - Das zauberhafte Land (Germany) (DVD title) [de]

Runtime:

134 min | UK:128 min | Finland:136 min (uncut version) | Finland:118 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (uncut) (1979) | Finland:S (heavily cut) (1980) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Astoria Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Motown Productions

Trivia:

The original New York production of "The Wiz" opened at the Majestic Theater on January 5, 1975 starring Stephanie Mills and ran for 1672 performances.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Dorothy is awakened by the Tin Man's tears, she sits up and wipes her face with both hands. In the next shot, however, when Toto awakens, Dorothy is still sleeping because her hands and arms are still down.

Quotes:

Cheetah, Head of the Flying Monkeys: [receiving orders from Evillene] White bread or wheat?

Movie Connections:

Features Mackenna's Gold (1969)

Soundtrack:

He's The Wizard

Just Like a Broadway Show--from the Cheap Seats

I just watched this for the first time, I've was expecting a true spectacle of "bad" cinema. I was surprised to find there is a decent movie here.

Some people have remarked Diana Ross was too old to play Dorothy, OK, well, so was Judy Garland. True. There's really nothing wrong with this musical--The songs are excellent, performed by some great talents. The production design is spectacular (maybe a little dated, but still something to look at). The sets are a little nightmarish looking, true, but I liked that. I reminded me of "Return of Oz", a favorite of mine too. The real problem with this movie is the damn direction and cinematography.

What were they thinking? The Munchkin scene is not only lit horribly (too dark!), but all the musical numbers seem like they're just comprised of master shots. Very few close ups of dancers, other singers, and even main characters. During the "Ease on Down the Road" number Lumet has us staring at Diana Ross and Michael Jackson's back from far away in the distance for two minutes. It felt like I was watching this movie from the cheap seats. Thus, I always felt distanced from the characters and situations, and just couldn't get into the movie.

I read Sidney Lumet's book "Making Movies" and I remember him writing in detail about shooting to get proper coverage. What happened here?